Choosing the Right Needle for Sewing Stretch Knits
When it comes to sewing stretch knits, choosing the right needle is crucial to ensure a professional-looking finish. The type of needle used can greatly impact the quality of the seam and the overall appearance of the garment. In this section, we'll explore the different types of needles that are suitable for sewing stretch knits.
The video demonstration begins with the host explaining the importance of using a ballpoint needle when sewing stretch knits. Ballpoint needles are designed to pierce the fabric without causing damage or distorting the fibers. The host holds up a five-Jersey ballpoint needle, which is a type of needle specifically designed for sewing stretch fabrics. This needle has a larger diameter than regular needles, making it ideal for piercing through thick and heavy stretch knits.
The host also mentions that there are different brands of ballpoint needles available, including the one they're using in this demonstration. The size of the needle is also important, as it will depend on the weight and thickness of the fabric being sewn. In general, heavier weights require larger needles, while lighter weights can be sewn with smaller needles.
For this specific project, the host decides to use a 1175-size ballpoint needle, which is suitable for medium-weight stretch knits. They choose this size because it's not too light, yet still suitable for the fabric being used. The host also notes that some brands may offer different sizes and types of needles specifically designed for sewing stretch fabrics.
Installing the Needle in the Sewing Machine
Once the needle has been chosen, it's time to install it in the sewing machine. The host demonstrates how to do this by showing how to thread the needle with a ballpoint thread. They explain that the flat side of the needle should face towards the back of the machine, and that the thread should be threaded through the eye of the needle.
The host also mentions that some sewing machines may have specific requirements for threading the needle, so it's always best to check the user manual before starting to sew. In this case, the host is using a universal foot, which allows them to sew with the ballpoint needle without any issues.
Using the Right Foot for Stretch Knits
When sewing stretch knits, it's essential to use the right foot to ensure a smooth and even seam. The host demonstrates how to use a walking foot, which is specifically designed for sewing stretch fabrics. This foot has a gentle action that allows the fabric to feed smoothly through the machine, reducing the risk of distortion or puckering.
The host explains that using a walking foot can make a big difference in the quality of the seam, especially when working with thick and heavy stretch knits. They also demonstrate how to adjust the length and width of the stitch on the walking foot, which allows for greater control over the sewing process.
Tips for Sewing Stretch Knits
One of the most important tips for sewing stretch knits is to use a ballpoint needle in the right size for the fabric being used. The host emphasizes that using the wrong size needle can lead to distorted seams and uneven stitching.
Another crucial tip is to use a walking foot when sewing stretch fabrics. This foot helps to feed the fabric smoothly through the machine, reducing the risk of distortion or puckering. The host also recommends using a universal foot, which allows for greater flexibility and control over the sewing process.
In conclusion, choosing the right needle and using the right foot are essential for achieving professional-looking seams when sewing stretch knits. By following these tips and techniques, sewists can create high-quality garments that are both comfortable and stylish.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enokay so we're starting off part two we've talked a little bit about our Fabrics now we already have also gone over actually the type of needle that we need and we said some ballpoint needles this one here is a different brand and it says Jersey but you can see up top it says five Jersey ballpoint needle so same thing so now I need to put in a needle into my machine and I'll do this one since I've already opened these I said the size 1490 is for heavier weights and the fabric I'm sewing with here this is off of an old Polo shirt and this is a sleeve off of a t-shirt so for these weights I would go with light to medium weights so I'm going to go with this 965 or 1175 size ballpoint needle okay two of them are the 965 and two are the 1175 I'll go with the 1175 just because they're not the super super lightweight so let's put the needle into the sewing machine you always want to install your needle with the flat side facing the back the rounded portion should be facing front Okay I have an automatic needle threader on this machine so I've done that and I have my bobbin in I'm just using some mercerized cotton thread just allp purpose and now I'm going to start sewing so there is some debate about whether or not to use pins on Jersey or stretch fabrics and I've actually seen that they sell some ballpoint pins and I guess that's so the same so they serve the same purpose as the ballpoint needles remember I said you don't want to use the sharp needles the regular ones on stretch knits because it will damage the fibers by piercing through as it sews so I suppose that the same thing goes for the pins if they're too sharp but what I find is that I don't have any specific ballpoint pins I just try to use the minimum amount possible and what I do is I use these really small pins I would never use something big like this one these are like corsage pins I would never use something like this on a stretch neck cuz it's going to leave a huge hole okay so if you have to pin just go ahead and use either if you can find those ballpoint uh pins or just use some the smallest pins that you have and try to pin minimally what I do recommend you do if you are pinning is to pin in the seam allowance what that's going to do is even if you do mess up the fibers or you leave a hole it's going to be in the seam allowance so it's not going to affect the outside part of your finished garment or the part that's going to be seen now it's time to select the Stitch that we're going to use to stitch our stretch niit Fabrics you generally do not want to use just a basic straight Stitch and I'll show you why I'm selecting just a straight Stitch like I would normally just use to sew two pieces of woven cotton so here's what's going to happen I just sewed basic straight Stitch right if the Garment is the stretch is going this way you hear that and see what happened I popped all my stitches and obviously it's not going to hold the seam together okay so another option that you have is to sew using a zigzag Stitch so if you have a zigzag Stitch go for that but if you do have a machine like the one that I have here that's computerized and it has like hundreds of different Stitch U decorative stitches then you may want to look at your manual or just look on the buttons it has to see if you find what they call a Str a stretch Stitch so here let me show you the difference this is a stretch Stitch and this is a zigzag Stitch you can see they both kind of go Zig and zag except the zigzag just goes left to right and then the stretch Stitch is actually at a little angle so it's a little bit tighter but it goes straighter more like a straight Stitch so it's kind of in between a straight Stitch and a zigzag Stitch if you have something that looks like this you definitely want to select that one so first let's try it with a basic zigzag stitch for those of you that may not have the specific stretch Stitch as a function feature on your machine I'm just going to put it wherever your seam allowance is for your project I'll select my zigzag Stitch and now one thing to note if you just have a plain zigzag Stitch you can go ahead and use that if you do have the the functionality on your machine to adjust your Stitch length and the width then you can tweak a zigzag Stitch to look more like a stretch Stitch okay so all you would do is shorten the width of it a little bit and then elongate the um length so let's just do it with the basic one first so we can see what the zigzag looks like and you see that my machine here wants to eat the fabric and that's because I'm using just my Universal foot I'll show you all the difference when I use the walking foot in a second but let's try it like this cuz some of you may not have those features so I'm just going to sew a little bit slower so here I have a zigzag Stitch and do you see what happens it's a little bit wavy so it has stretched out my fabric as it was stitching okay but when you're looking at the quality of the seam it's nice and tight and that's not going to come apart okay so if you just have a zigzag choose the zigzag over the stretch over the straight Stitch okay now let's try another one all right so stretch Stitch selected here and you can adjust it on my machine I can adjust it uh the length or the width from this specific Stitch but I'm just going to leave it at the general size that it is 1.0 in width and a 2.5 in length and I'm trying to go slow so that my machine doesn't eat the fabric because the stitches are so tight and so small that it tends to do that so this is what I say That's What I Call eat the fabric and if you've ever tried to se knits before and it does that I'm going to show you now the solution to that problem okay I don't want to deal with this right now so I'm going to remove this foot and I'm going to put my walking foot on so this is actually really simple to install take your little screwdriver for this foot you got to remove the little ankle piece on your machine okay one last tighten my foot's in place good to go so my walking foot is installed still have the same ballpoint needle in there and I'm going to choose my stretch Stitch again and now you can see how it stitches beautifully I don't even have to stitch slowly because it's not eating the fabric right it's feeding it the foot is helping feed the fabric from the top and then the feed dogs on the machine from the bottom and just so you can see that look at that my fabric is nice and flat it didn't buckle and it didn't eat my fabric so if you've ever had trouble sewing with your stretching it Fabrics remember these tips make sure you have a ballpoint needle in the size to appropriately match the fabric you're using and make sure you put on that walking foot you can see the difference one is nice and flat so even if you don't have a stretch Stitch go ahead and use that zigzag stitch for your stretch knit seams so now that you know the secrets on how to get a nice flat and perfectly stitched seam using stretch knit Fabrics you're ready to start on your first project and if you enjoyed this video part two of my sewing with knit series go ahead and hit this video with a thumbs up and thanks for watching I'll see you next time\n"
